Walkhighlands news

Walkhighlands Navigation courses

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Helen Webster

Following the success of the joint Walkhighlands/MCofS navigation courses over the last few years there will be a further 4 courses held in April and May 2015. These single day courses will be held in the Ochils on 18 and 19 April and the Campsies on 16 and 17 May. Each course will begin with an hour of work indoors and then the rest of the day will be spent on practical navigation skills on the hill. The courses will be run by Heather Morning, Mountain Safety Officer at the Mountaineering Council of Scotland and are aimed at anyone who…

Posted in News, Walkhighlands news

Our pick: 16 shots of Festive Scotland

Posted on December 18, 2014 by Paul Webster

Need to get into that festive frame of mind? We’ve put together a gallery of wintry scenes from across Scotland to inspire you to venture out and explore before settling down by the fireside on these long evenings. A ballet is one of the collective nouns used for a group of swans, well-suited to this group of Whoopers alighting from the River Spey near Grantown. With a white-out on the summits, there’s still sometimes the chance of a stunning winter walk on the lower slopes and foothills. Winter also gives the chance to try out other ways of getting around…

Posted in Features, Magazine, Our picks, Walkhighlands news

St Kilda wind reaches 144mph

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Paul Webster

The UK’s windiest place has today recorded a wind speed of 144 miles per hour, one of the highest ever recorded. St Kilda, which is in the care of the National Trust for Scotland, experiences gales on 75 days of the year, however, conditions today are even tougher than ‘normal’. As the whole country is battered by gales, a wind speed at the top of the hill on Hirta, the largest of St Kilda’s islands, approached 150 miles per hour. The highest wind ever recorded in the UK was 173mph on the summit of Cairngorm back in 1986. St Kilda…

Posted in Walkhighlands news

Walkhighlands Winter Skills Course

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Helen Webster

The unique challenges and unrivalled rewards of the winter mountains require a whole host of skills including the correct use of crampons and ice axe, and avalanche evaluation. Walkhighlands is offering a Winter Skills weekend, run by experienced and qualified guides from Scot Mountain Holidays and based near Aviemore in the Cairngorms. Extend your hillwalking skills to tackle winter mountain days safely alongside other Walkhighlands users. The weekend course costs £245 including all accommodation and delicious, award-winning food. Learn new skills and make lifelong friends while enjoying two practical days in the stunning Cairngorms scenery. Pick up/drop off is available…

Posted in Magazine, News, Walkhighlands news

Win one of 3 Mammut Creon Pro rucksacks

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Helen Webster

Enter our Christmas competition now for your chance to win one of three Mammut Creon Pro rucksacks worth £149.90 each. The Mammut Creon Pro is a technical hillwalking rucksack that sets new standards with its rich range of features and 4 STREAM Butterfly Vario™ suspension system. Ventilation on all sides helps to prevent perspiration, a twistable butterfly™ frame allows the upper body complete freedom of movement, the Vario system converts the air space suspension system into a full-contact back and the back length can be adjusted. Simply enter your details below and answer the question ‘Who compiled the original Munro’s…

Posted in Magazine, Walkhighlands news

Steall Falls path closed following landslip

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Paul Webster

The John Muir Trust has advised at the extremely popular footpath through the Nevis Gorge at the head of Glen Nevis has been temporarily closed. The path – used as the approach to Steall Falls as well as the start of many popular mountain routes including the classic Ring of Steall – is blocked where it emerges from the gorge onto Steall Meadows. UPDATE: A temporary repair has been carried out and the path is now passable.

Posted in Access issues, Walkhighlands news

Trossachs walks coverage expanded and updated

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Paul Webster

Walkhighlands’ coverage of walking in the Trossachs area has been expanded and updated. New routes added close to Callander and Aberfoyle include the beautiful waymarked Primrose Hill circuit above Loch Katrine, along with many other brand forest walks. Other routes have been completely rewritten and updated, whilst many new hill routes have also been added or revised. Several new routes up Corbetts have also been added, including Beinn a’ Chaisteil and Beinn nan Fuaran above Auch, Meall nam Subh in Perthshire; further Corbett routes are still being added.

Posted in News, Walkhighlands news

Trust launches legal challenge against Stronelairg decision

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Paul Webster

The John Muir Trust has lodged a petition to the Court of Session asking for a judicial review of the decision on June 6 by Energy Minister Fergus Ewing to grant consent to a 67-turbine wind farm in the Monadhliath Mountains without any Public Local Inquiry. The decision was taken in the face of opposition from the government’s own advisory body, Scottish Natural Heritage; from the Cairngorm National Park Authority; and from three out of the four local councillors in Strathspey and Badenoch. Written objections to the development from the public outnumbered supporting letters by a margin of almost 15…

Posted in Nature, Walkhighlands news

Peter Macfarlane joins Walkhighlands as gear editor

Posted on July 22, 2014 by Paul Webster

We’re delighted to welcome Peter Macfarlane to Walkhighlands as our new gear editor. Peter is a freelance outdoor writer and photographer and will be familiar to many as a regular contributor to Trail Magazine. His work has also appeared in other magazines and he has covered outdoor topics on both TV and radio. Peter is usually found out in the Scottish mountains where he’s gained his experience of equipment testing and found a preference for simplicity and light weight. He is also known through his blogging – and forum appearances – as PTC*. His first review will be published early…

Posted in Walkhighlands news

Win one of three copies of ‘The Skye Trail’

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Paul Webster

Posted in Walkhighlands news